The much-hated and broadly-disobeyed national speed limit was abandoned many years ago and the authority returned to the States. (Texas has at least one road with 85 mph limit, Michigan is only 70, but a bunch of western States are 75 mph on interstates.) The bigger question is whether the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and Standard Highway Signs and Markings (SHSM) will be revised back to fully include metric. Prior to the most recent edition, they were published with a full complement of Customary and metric sign messages and in two volumes for Customary and (sensibly round) metric dimensions for signs, letter heights, etc. In the most recent edition, FHWA surrendered, and moved all the metric to an appendix because no State was actually using the metric. (Unlike the UK, metric signs are legal here, were pushed by the feds, and resisted by the states.) If the 51st State WANTS metric, FHWA should be required to go back to the former format. Congress passed a law that forbade the FWHA from forcing the States to go metric on either highway signs or road construction, but a State can be metric if they want to be. Also, I don't know whether FPLA applies to Puerto Rico, but if they become a State, it seems unreasonable to force them to include Customary net contents. Perhaps that would kick-start the permissive-metric FPLA amendment. Does anyone know how Puerto Rico handles random weight packages and beer? Those two cases require Customary and allow supplemental metric in the rest of the US.
--- On Wed, 11/7/12, Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> wrote: From: Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:51969] RE: Puerto Rico votes in favor of statehood To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2012, 11:03 AM The real test in the short term will be how Congress handles the metric system in Puerto Rico and customary units elsewhere. I don’t know how the Americans will handle it, but a typical British solution would be for Congress, for example, to pass a law giving the maximum permitted speed as 55 mph with state governments having the option of using 90 km/h within their own state instead of 55 mph. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Zach Rodriguez (Metricate America) Sent: 07 November 2012 13:43 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:51968] Puerto Rico votes in favor of statehood Hello, all! In last night's election, Puerto Rico voted for statehood. If Congress approves their request to join the Union (both major political parties have stated they'd support the will of Puerto Ricans, regardless of status), they will be the 51st state. As I'm sure you're aware, Puerto Rico used kilometers on distance signs since at least 1979 (although the signs frequently use incorrect abbreviations such as "600 MTS" and "1/2 KM" instead of using proper metric symbols to show "600 m" and "500 m", respectively), and started pricing by the liter at the gas pump, to my knowledge, around the same time. It seems they metricated with the rest of the country to an extent, but did not convert back to inch-pound units when resistance was high. Fahrenheit, miles per hour, feet/inches, and pounds are still unfortunately very much alive on the island, but the daily use of kilometers and liter is, obviously, much greater than on the mainland. Admitting Puerto Rico as a state could be groundbreaking for advancing US metrication (similar to how groundbreaking a metric-only amendment to the FPLA would be). Statehood could give their metric usage much higher visibility than if they were a territory. Speaking broadly, the average Joe on the street doesn't care (or maybe doesn't even realize) that the Virgin Islands drive on the left; territories are something Americans generally do not think about. But, if a state (i.e., Puerto Rico) were to show the rest of the states that metric can and does work in everyday American life, then it has some weight for change. Puerto Rico having votes in Congress, which they currently do not have as a territory, could help drive metrication legislation. Anti-metric people have said that pricing gas by the liter and using kilometers just can't work here in America. Puerto Rico, the US territory, has proven them wrong for at least thirty years. Puerto Rico, the state, may let them see that they've been proven wrong. Sure, nothing could come of it, too. Puerto Rico might not be admitted as a state despite the will of its people. Even if they did become a state, they might not affect US metrication at all. But, then again, they just may help get the ball rolling again. I'm optimistic. Zach Rodriguez http://twitter.com/#!/metric8america http://twitter.com/#!/zachrodriguez
